By JAMES MITCHELL
Sunday Times Newspapers
TAYLOR — A 23-year-old father waived a preliminary examination of evidence in district court and was bound over to Wayne County Circuit Court to face charges of having abused and tortured his infant son.

Nicholas Alan Spirdione had been declared competent last month by 23rd District Court Judge Geno Salomone to stand trial and participate in his own defense as he faces charges of torture, two counts of first-degree child abuse, assault with intent to do great bodily damage and domestic violence.

Spirdione is expected to be arraigned tomorrow at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice and faces up to life in prison if convicted.

Spirdione had been taken into custody in April after police responded to reports that an infant was not breathing. Investigators responded to a house in the 6600 block of Pine Street where Spirdione — who’d been training to be a paramedic — lived with his girlfriend, Corie Stahl, and their then-six-month old son, Jesse.

According to police reports, the infant appeared “to have been beaten,” and was taken to Detroit Children’s Hospital. The child received treatment and an operation for head trauma, remained in critical condition for weeks, and reportedly was recovering with the help of physical therapy.

Stahl told investigators that she had left the room briefly and returned to find the baby struggling to breathe.

During an emotional arraignment in May, Spirdione addressed the court via video monitors and expressed remorse for what had taken place.

“This is not who I am,” Spirdione said. “I did not mean to harm my son, and I beg his mother and the doctors for forgiveness.”